Rage & Hope: A RWBY Story

Chapter Sixty One - Clash Of Rage

As Vice hovered above the group, Razer and Aya along with Saint Walker, Team RWBY, Qrow and Oscar prepared for a fight. As Razer locked eyes with Vice, Vice laughed. 

Vice: Look what has become of you....a rat scurrying away without a purpose. 

Razer: Look what I have risen above. 

Vice: I've come to finish this....to kill you and bring your corpse to Lord Atrocitus. 

Saint Walker: If you define yourself by your power to take life, the desire to dominate, to possess? Then you have nothing.

Vice glanced over to Saint Walker for a brief moment before glancing to Ruby. As Vice turned his attention to Ruby, Ruby saw flashbacks to when Vice nearly killed her back at Haven. 

Vice: So you survived, little girl? Perhaps I'll leave you for last so you can watch as I kill everyone you love....

Ruby tightly gripped her weapon, ready to lash out a Vice, but Razer stepped in front of Vice. 

Razer: Your quarrel is with me. 

Vice: It's far too late for that, old friend. You brought them into this. And for that, they will all suffer because of you. 

Aya: You cannot hope to defeat us with your injuries. If you fight us in your current condition, you will only further damage yourself. 

Vice: My rage will sustain me. Unlike Razer who is ashamed of it, my rage gives me strength. 

Razer: Your rage has made you a slave in every sense of the word. 

When Razer said that, Vice was seething in anger. Without warning, Vice fires an energy blast which misses Razer and hits the burning house behind him and the rest of the group. 

Vice: And what are you?!

Razer: Don't do this. Don't force me to kill you. 

Vice: You and I both know you won't kill me, Razer. If you really wanted to kill me, you would've done so a long time ago. 

Without warning, Vice charges at Razer and attacks him. Razer was initially caught off guard, but he was able to blast Vice away. Razer then uses his Ring to form a construct sword. Vice groans in pain as his previous injury forced him to his knees. But upon seeing Razer, Vice punches the site of his injuries, using the pain to fuel his rage. Vice then charges at Razer and attacks him. During the fight, Aya and Saint Walker along with Team RWBY attempt to join Razer, but Vice vomits acidic plasma blood around himself and Razer, preventing the others from stepping in. Vice then grabs Razer and blasts off. During this, Vice vomits acidic blood on Razer, but Razer uses his Ring to blast Vice away. 

Vice: I see you still have some fight left in you, Razer. Good. It will make killing you more satisfying. 

Razer: Stop this, Vice! Your anger will only destroy you!

Vice: If I die, then I'll die destroying you! Then your Ring will go to someone more worthy to fight for Lord Atrocitus!

Vice roars as he continues attacking Razer with everything he had. But despite his best efforts, Vice's injuries hindered him, allowing Razer to get the upper hand on him. However, this didn't slow Vice down as he continued attacking Vice. Eventually, Razer got the upper hand on Vice. He unleashes a powerful beam of Red Energy on Vice. As Vice attempts to power through it, Razer unleashes an unrelenting barrage of Red Energy attacks until Vice was blasted to the ground. When Razer landed on the ground, Vice launched a last ditch effort to kill Razer by using his Ring to form a construct of a bull to charge at Razer. Razer brazes himself as he stops the bull's charge. Razer then powers up his Ring and unleashes a powerful blast of Red Energy which blasts through the bull and hits Vice. With Vice seemingly defeated, Razer approaches Vice who was struggling to get up. Aya wondered of what Razer was going to do while Saint Walker watched with concern. 

Razer: It's over, Vice. You have lost. 

Vice: Then what are you waiting for, Razer? Finish it. Kill me. 

Razer fell silent as he contemplated on killing Vice. He thinks of all the horrors of what Vice has done both in Remnant and beyond. But after a moment, Razer takes pity on his defeated enemy. 

Razer: I pity you. I don't know what path led you into becoming a Red Lantern, but whoever you once were is gone, lost within your rage. But I won't kill you. I am not that man anymore. 

Vice laughed as Razer was about to walk away. 

Vice: Do you really think you've beaten me, Razer? We both know that I won't stop until I kill you. We both know that I won't stop until everyone you care about dies screaming by my hands. 

Razer said nothing as he began walking away. As Razer said that, Vice clenched his fists in rage. Vice slowly gets up and and charges his Ring. 

Vice: With blood and rage of crimson red, Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead, Together with our hellish hate, We'll burn you all--THAT IS YOUR FATE!

Vice screams as he charges at Razer with blinding speed. But when he got close, Razer parries Vice's attack and follows through by impaling Vice with a construct sword. Taken aback by this, Vice collapsed to his knees as the sword construct fades. Vice then looks upon Razer and a smile falls on his face. 

Vice: You truly haven't lost your edge....Razer.....

Vice then takes his last breath and dies. As Vice dies, his Ring flew out of his finger. But instead of blasting off into the sky, it simply hovered in the air. The Ring then slowly began hovering towards Yang. In that moment, Vice's Red Lantern Ring would attempt to find a new host.